The Soviet Foreign Commissariat's statement on Soviet
relations with Sweden and Norway

Jan. 15, 1940

Speech
of Foreign Minister Günther at the full dress opening of the
Swedish parliament

Jan. 17, 1940

King Gustaf V's statement for the Cabinet
minutes concerning rejection of demands for Swedish
intervention in the Winter War

Feb. 19, 1940

Speech
of Foreign Minister Günther in the Swedish parliament after
Soviet-Finnish conclusion of peace

March 13, 1940

Presentation
by the foreign minister Günther at the Press Club for reasons
of Swedish rejection to resort to military intervention in Finland and
that of the request of the western allies to use Swedish territory for
transport of troops to Finland

March 16, 1940

Reminder
from the German government requesting Sweden to maintain strict
neutrality in the German occupation of Denmark and Norway

British War Cabinet
meeting: despatch of up to
50 bomber aircraft to Finland authorised. A definitive answer
concerning sending Allied land forces to Finland expected from the
Finns

7 March, 1940.

Daladier in the French parliament: France is ready to send
men to Finland

12 March, 1940.

Molotov's
speech at the Supreme Council was for home
consumptíon. Abuse of France and Britain on familiar lines.
The man in the streets was haunted by the spectre of a famine. In
Moscow, the spoilt child of the Union, the situation in control but in
many country districts it is extremely serious. Stalin is now diverting
national interest and energies to other channels, and to campaigning
the weaknesses revealed both in the army and organisation of deomestic
supply and distribution.

31 March, 1940.

The exchange of
letters between Aleksi Lehtonen, Bishop of Tampere, and Lord
Halifax, Foreign secretary of Great Britain

1 April 1940.

The British Government takes a
serious view in the Finnish decision to
allow German troops to cross Finnish territory. The Soviet
transit to Hanko is no parallel to this. The same applies to Sweden. In
the latter case only replacement of troops is allowed, no garrison
increases.

25 Sept. 1940.

Swedish
Foreign minister sees the transit of troops in Finland also
as a German political gesture towards the Soviet Union. In Sweden it is
only a technical matter.

27 Sept. 1940.

British minister Mallet in
Stockholm is reporting about Swedish rumors
from Germany concerning a change of attitude at the Germans
towards Finland. Germany is supposed to warn the Soviet Union to "go no
further" in Finland.

27 Sept. 1940.

The British ambassador in Helsinki:
There are extenuating
circumstances for recent actions of the Finns. The British
leaving Northern Norway on her own devices gives the impression that
assistance in seeking means to be alive and free must be found
elsewhere than in Britain. As well as the British nickel policy in
Petsamo driving Finland into the arms of Germany. People are against
the German presence but government circles feel that now one must
clutch even at straws.

9 Oct. 1940.

Molotov
is very annoyed at the anti-Russian feeling in Finland. He
thinks that Finnish Minister Paasikivi in Moscow as well as Prime
Minister Ryti genuinely desire friendly relations with Russia but there
are others with a different outlook. Molotov thinks that there is no
likelihood of any Russian action for the present, but if Germany were
to make an offensive in the Balkans it might be that Russia would take
action to prevent Finland from being penetrated by Germany

19 Oct. 1940.

The Winter
War and its aftermath as reflected by the U.S. diplomatic
correspondence, statements and reactions